Taking-up slack in structural members



March 1935- A. R. WILSON ET AL TAKING-UP SLACK IN STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Original Filed April 9, ,1932

F/G. 1. m5

Patented Mar. 5, 1935 a L 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAKING-UP SLACK IN STRUCTURAL MEIVIBERS Allen R. .Wilson, Lansdowne, Pa., and Robert Seeman, Merrick, and Morris Hallen, Long a Island City, N. Y;

Application April 9, 1932, Serial No. 604392 Renewed December 15, 1934 '9 Claims. (01. 29-151) This inventionrelates to structures and in par- 9, the ends of the bars 9 being connected to the ticular to the taking up of slack'in structural plate '7 through the medium of the bolt 10 or, members particularly bridge eye bars and the if desired, by welding. The first step in our like, 7 method is the positioning of the frame 11 which 5 A particular objec of our invention is to proincludes the end plates 7 a d the Side bars n vide means whereby slack may be taken up in the member 5 y Welding the end p s 7'therea structural member without disturbing the end t frame 11 be n e einafter referred to connections of the member or otherwise alteras a yoke f am a holding device Ora connector, ing the structure, the object being to prevent relative movement 0 A further object of our invention is to provide between the points ef'eenneetien 0f the frame 19 a device which can be placed in the member in With the S c ural member 5. which it is desired to take up slack ,so that it The Second p in he method after the frame b c e a, permanent t thereof d can b has been welded or otherwise connected to the adjusted from time to time to take up Wear, slack, structural member 5, is the removal of a section 5 stretch or other play in the member which might from the member 5, as indicated by the Outline render the structure asa whole, defective. Portion 6, leaving a Space in which can b D0 1- Changes and variafidns may be made in the tioned, an adjusting member 12 which consists construction shown and described without de- 0f the tum buckle 13 and the p t e s 14 parting from the'principles of the invention or and having right a d left hand threaded sacrificing its chief advantages; hence such inconnection with the tum buckle 13 so that the 20 vention is not to be confined to the structures Stubs 14 and 15 may ve t v adjustment. shown i t accompanying drawing in which, These stubs 14 and '15 are each connected at Figure 1 is a plan View showing t first and their opposite sides by the spliced strips or plates second steps in ourmethod andillustrating the 15 which arerwelded 118% 17 t0 the stubs 14 use of a connecting yoke or frame for holding 811C115 and as at 18130 the ends Of the structural 25 the ends of the structural memberin fixed relamember 5 80 that the d usting device is not tion. only positioned in alignment with the structural Figure 2'is an end view of the structure illusmember 5 but becomes P h trated'in Figure lshowing how the end plates After the adjusting device has b P p ly of the frame or yoke are welded in position on Connected in Place, as illustrated in Figure 30 th t t l b and this positionmg'constitutes the third step t Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing in our method; t fourth p of the method the insertion of'the turn buckle or screw thread takes place, whlch consists i eit e movin adjusting device positioned betwe and the'side bars 9 by removing the bolt '10 so that nected to the ends .of the structural member in the Spaced Points wh th plates '7 are con- 35 whi h l k i t b t k up nected. are relatively movable or the entire'frame Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the device including the p and t e s de ba s may be as illustrated in Figure 3. removed- Referring to the drawing in detail, as illustra- It is more convenient, e t emove the 40 tive of our method of carrying out the objects Side bars 50 that the S d bars and the 40 of our invention, 5 indicates a structural membolts can be d in another job s u tin her, in this instance, the eye bar of a bridge down the expense of the operation and then the structure, in which it is desired to take up slack edges of the Plates as indicated by the numeral or play or adjust longitudinally, it being under- 20, can be burned ofi flush with the structural st od that our inv ti could apply t member 5 at the point where the welding took 45 ber in compression for adjusting the ends therep of, but in the form of invention illustrated, it is In addi to takmg p ac or play in a desired to draw upon the member 5 to t k up structural member, our invention contemplates the slack as before noted and to this end there the Placing replacing Of a turn buck e 01 other is secured at spaced points to the member 5 in adjusting memb r i a solid 01 non-adjustable 50 its whole condition, as indicated in outline as at Structural member without interfering wi y 6, the yoke or frame end plates '7 which are seof t e Other Parts Of the b d b e S uccured to the structural member 5 in any suitable u e in which the member 5 y be loca ed. It

manner but as indicated by the welding 8. The is to be understood also, that the plates '7 may plates 7 are connected together by the side bars be bolted or otherwise connected to the structural member 5 although it is preferable not to weaken the member 5 by drilling bolt holes therein.

The method employed therefore consists, first in placing the yoke or frame in position on the structural member 5, then cutting'the same out between the ends of the frame as much as desired, then placing in the space between the ends of the member 5, an adjusting member and securing the same at its ends to the ends of theadjusting member and then removing the frame sothat adjustment may be made and slack taken up in the structural member 5.

Our invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing the advantages derived from its use.

What we claim is:-

1. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists, in connecting a frame to the memberat spaced points to prevent relative movement between said points, removing a portion of the member between the connections, securing a screw thread device in the space left by said removed-section and between the ends of the member and in alignment therewith, re-.

moving said frame and adjusting said device.

2. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in joining spaced points of the member with a connector, removing a section of the member between said points, securing an adjusting device in the space left by said removed section, detaching said connector and actuating said adjusting device.

3. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in securing a frame to the member at spaced points, removing a portion of the memberbetween said points, inserting in said removed portion space, a screw thread device and connecting the ends thereof to the adjacent ends of the member, disconnecting a portion of the frameto permit relative movement between the points, and adjusting saidscrew thread device.

4. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consistsin securing. spaced points of the member in fixed relation, removing a section of the member between the points, substituting for said removed section, ascrew thread device, securing said screw thread device in the space left by said removed section releasing said spaced points for relative movement and adjusting said screw thread device.

5. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in securing the frame plates to the member at spaced points, joining said plates with removable connecting bars to hold the points in fixed relation, removing a section of the member between said points, positioning a screw thread device in the space left by said removed section, securing the ends of the device to the adjacent ends of the member, removing the bars of said frame and adjusting said screw thread device.

6. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in securing the frame, including plates and bars, to the member at spaced points, removing a section of the member between said points, positioning a screw thread device in place in said removed section, securing the ends of said device to the adjacent ends of the member, removing parts of the frame to permit relative movement between the points and adjusting said screw thread device.

7. A method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in joining spaced points of the member with a connector, removing a section of the member between said points, positioning an adjusting device in the space left by said removed section, securing the ends of said adjusting device tothe adjacent ends of the member whereby the adjusting device becomes a permanent part of the member, removing said connector and actuating said adjusting device.

8. The method of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in joining spaced points of the member with a connector, including plates welded to said member at said points and bars connecting said plates, removing a section of the member between said points, positioning an adjusting device in the space left by said removed section, securing the ends of said adjusting device to the adjacent ends of the member whereby the adjusting device becomes a permanent part of the member, removing all or part of said connector and actuating said adjusting device.

9. The method, of taking up slack in a structural member which consists in joining spaced points of the member with a connector, removing a section of the member between said points, po-

sitioning an adjusting device in the space left by said removed section, connecting the ends of the adjusting device to the adjacent ends of the member with splice plates welded to the ends of said device and to the ends of said member, removing said connector and actuating said adjusting device.

- ALLEN R. WILSON. [L. 5.] ROBERT SEEMAN. [L. s.] MORRIS HALLEN.v [L. s.] 

